title: Fatal measles pneumonitis during Hodgkin's lymphoma.
abstract: The treatment of measles pneumonitis in immunocompromised adults is not established. We describe a patient with Hodgkin's lymphoma who developed acute pneumonia during a measles infection. On day 13, intravenous ribavirin and immunoglobulins were administrated. On day 18, the patient developed acute respiratory failure. An examination of transbronchial pulmonary biopsies showed Warthin-Finkeldey giant cells that are pathognomonic of measles pneumonitis. The patient died despite aggressive supportive care. Our case and a review of literature show that measles pneumonitis is routinely fatal in patients with cancer. We suggest that antiviral drugs should be considered as soon as the diagnosis has been established.
authors.affiliation: Assistance publique-hôpitaux de Paris, CHU Bicêtre, Service de Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wyplosz
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lafarge
authors.forename: Lélia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Escaut
authors.forename: Jean-Baptiste
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Stern
mesh_terms: D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008457:Measles / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D055815:Young Adult